The Longest Touchdown in NFL History

The longest touchdown in NFL history is 109 yards, the maximum possible on any play. That mark is shared by Cordarrelle Patterson, who returned a kickoff 109 yards in 2013, and Antonio Cromartie, who returned a missed field goal 109 yards in 2007.

Touchdown length is capped by the shape of the field, so the record is less about who ran fastest and more about which type of play allows the longest run. Here is the full breakdown of the longest touchdowns by category, and why 109 yards is a number that can be tied but never beaten. All figures are as of the 2025 NFL season.

The record: 109 yards, the longest possible touchdown

A football field is 100 yards between the goal lines, plus two 10-yard end zones. On a kickoff or a missed field goal that falls short, a returner can field the ball up to about nine yards deep in his own end zone and run the entire length of the field, producing a play of roughly 109 yards. Patterson’s 2013 kickoff return against the Green Bay Packers and Cromartie’s 2007 missed field goal return against the Minnesota Vikings both hit that ceiling.

Because the ball cannot be fielded any deeper than the back of the end zone, no return can exceed 109 yards. The record is therefore a shared maximum rather than a mark waiting to be broken.

The longest touchdowns by type

Different plays start from different spots, so each category has its own maximum. The table below shows the longest touchdown of each type.

Yards	Player	Play type	Year
109	Cordarrelle Patterson	Kickoff return	2013
109	Antonio Cromartie	Missed field goal return	2007
108	Ellis Hobbs	Kickoff return	2007
108	Devin Hester	Missed field goal return	2006
107	Ed Reed	Interception return	2008
104	Jack Tatum	Fumble return	1972
103	Robert Bailey	Punt return	1994
99	Tony Dorsett	Rushing	1983
99	Multiple players	Passing (reception)	1939-present

Returns dominate the top of the list because only they can start behind the goal line. Plays from scrimmage, which must begin at the line of scrimmage, top out at 99 yards.

The 99-yard ceiling from scrimmage

Because an offense can snap the ball no deeper than its own 1-yard line, the longest possible run or pass is 99 yards. Tony Dorsett set the rushing mark with a 99-yard touchdown run against the Vikings in January 1983, a play made more remarkable because Dallas had only 10 men on the field. On the passing side, more than a dozen 99-yard touchdown receptions have been recorded since Frank Filchock and Andy Farkas connected for the first in 1939. All of these can only ever be tied.

The other category records

Ed Reed owns the longest interception return for a touchdown at 107 yards, and he is the only player to break the record twice, having also held it at 106. Robert Bailey’s 103-yard punt return in 1994 and Jack Tatum’s 104-yard fumble return in 1972 remain the marks in their categories. Each reflects the same principle: the deeper the ball is fielded, the longer the possible score.

Why the record matters

The longest touchdown is a rare case where the record is set by the rules of the field rather than by human limits alone. Reaching 109 yards means fielding a ball at the very back of the end zone and outrunning an entire coverage unit, a feat only a handful of players have managed. For more on the sport’s scoring greats, see our leaderboards on the most touchdowns in NFL history and the most rushing touchdowns, and for the biggest games, the most points scored in a Super Bowl.

The short version: the longest touchdown in NFL history is 109 yards, the maximum possible, shared by Cordarrelle Patterson (kickoff return, 2013) and Antonio Cromartie (missed field goal return, 2007). From scrimmage, the ceiling is 99 yards, held by Tony Dorsett’s run and a group of 99-yard passes. As of the 2025 season, all of these marks can only be tied.